1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a surfboard fin, and more specifically to a fin having one or more pre-loaded, pre-impregnated insert sheets embedded within an injection molded resin material for enhancing the overall flex characteristics of the fin.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known that surfboards are commonly outfitted with one or more fins attached to the underside of the board. The fin(s) extend into the water and generally serve as hydrofoils to provide a degree of stabilization and directional control of the board. In particular, a surfer may control direction of the board by varying his side-to-side weight distribution, which causes the fin to steer the board in the desired direction.
The amount of control desired by an individual surfer may be dependent upon the surfer's ability and surfing style. In particular, more novice surfers may not require a great deal of maneuverability with their board, as they tend to be more concerned with developing the basic techniques of paddling into a wave and transitioning to an upright stance. As the surfer improves his technique, the surfer may develop more advanced and aggressive styles of surfing, which typically includes several high speed twists, turns, and possibly jumps, where portions of the surfboard may leave the water. In view of the different styles of surfing, there are several different fins available, wherein the fins are generally suited for a particular surfing style or ability level.
For instance, the more advanced maneuvers noted above generally impart high forces on the fin. The fin's ability to return to its normal state after having the force applied effects the performance of the fin and the surfboard as a whole. A fin's responsiveness to the forces applied thereto may be largely attributable to the construction of the fin. Along these lines, many conventional fins for surfboards are formed from composite structures having layers of woven sheets embedded in a resin material. Such composite fins may be formed by conventional composite lay-up manufacturing techniques, wherein the resin material is introduced over layers of fiberglass fabric.
Although such lay-up manufacturing techniques have been regularly used for forming conventional surf fins, the lay-up process, and fins resulting therefrom tend to suffer from several deficiencies. One particular deficiency is that conventional lay-up manufacturing techniques tend to be slow, and therefore, inefficient. The time-consuming nature of conventional lay-up manufacturing is generally attributable to the introduction and flow of the resin material over the fabric lay-up.
Another deficiency associated with conventional fin lay-up manufacturing techniques relates to inherent design limitations. In particular, most lay-up manufacturing techniques require that the woven sheets are stacked on top of each other while the resin flows through the lay-up. Thus, more exotic configurations of the woven sheets wherein the woven sheets are spaced apart from each other are difficult, if not impossible to attain using conventional lay-up manufacturing techniques.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved fin for a surfboard in comparison to the prior art. Various aspects of the present invention address these particular needs, as will be discussed in more detail below.